Drum carrier attachment for lift trucks



Dec. 11, 1956 J, L, A N 2,773,616

DRUM CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR LIFT TRUCKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fil ed May 12, 1954 James J. Flanagan INVENTOR.

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Dec. 11, 1956 J. 1.. FLANAGAN 2,773,616

DRUM CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR LIFT TRUCKS Filed May 12, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 38 V r 46 J F I rl s? 78 a0 1 1 I James J. Flanagan :2 l INVENTOR.

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Un ed t s Pew O DRUM CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR LIF TRUCKS I James J. Flanagan, Port Arthur, Tex., assignor of forty percent to Preston W. Ratley, Port Arthur, Tex.

Application May 12, 1954, Serial No. 429,254.

3 Claims. ((1214-65) This invention relates to a drum carrier, and more specifically concerns an attachment for industrial trucks for easier handling and transporting of a plurality of drums.

An object of this invention is to provide a drum carrier for attachment to an industrial truck having a vertically movable carriage and a hydraulic pressure system lfOl controlling the movement of the carriage wherein a pinrality of forwardly projecting fingers are horizontally adjustably secured to the carriage and hydraulically controlled for selectively gripping and releasing a plurality of drums or barrels wherein the barrels may be easily lifted and transported by manipulation of the hydraulic controls wherein the gripping fingers and the vertically moving carriage may be actuated.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drum carrier which is easy to attach to conventional industrial trucks, easy to operate, rugged in construction, safe, well adapted for its intended purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a drum carrier attachment for industrial trucks wherein four forwardly projecting fingers are provided for impression on opposite sides of three aligned barrels or three rows of aligned barrels or drums wherein a relatively larger number of drums may be handled in a single operation.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a drum carrier as set forth in the preceding paragraphs wherein the individual pairs of forwardly projecting fingers may be actuated for engaging a single barrel, a single row of barrels or two or three rows of barrels, as desired.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequent-1y apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure '1 is a side elevational view showing the drum carrier of the present invention secured to an industrial truck having a vertically movable carriage;

Figure 2 is a top plan view taken substantially along section line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the details of the relationship between the various elements of the drum carrier;

Figure 3 is a front elevational View of the attaching plate and the associated forwardly projecting fingers;

Figure 4 is a top plan sectional view taken substantially along a plane passing through section line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the details of construction and the relationship of the various forwardly projecting fingers and the mounting plate;

Figure 5 is a detailed transverse sectional view taken substantially along section line 5--5 of Figure 3 showing further details of construction of the mounting plate and the finger attachment;

2,773,616 Patented Dec. 11, 1956 Figure 6 is a detailed view showing one of the [freely sliding intermediate members;

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the construction of one of the forwardly projecting fingers;

Figure 8 is a detailed perspective view showing one end of the mounting plate for securing the device to a crossbar on the conventional industrial truck; and

Figure 9 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially along section line 9--9 of Figure 2 showing the relation-\ ship between the two adjacent fingers and the peripheral wall of :a barrel wherein the fingers are disposed :below the usual rib on a barrel.

Referring now specifically to Figure 1 of the drawings wherein the numeral 10 generally indicates the drum carrier of the present invention attached to a vertically moving carriage 12 on the conventional upstanding rail 14 of an industrial truck 16 having the usual supporting wheels 18, steering mechanism 20 and hydraulic con- -trol valves 22 in a suit-able hydraulic pressure system generally indicated by the numeral 24, it will be seen that the carriage 12 is vertically moved by manipulating the control member 22 and the hydraulic pressure system 24 thereby raising and lowering the carriage 12 on the rail 14. Further, the rails 14 may be tilted in a vertical plane in the usual manner for positioning the carriage 12 as desired. The carriage 12 is provided with a plurality of cross'bars 26 on the forward surf-ace thereof and it is to one of these crossbars 26 that the drum carrier 10 of the present invention is attached. The device is preferably attached to the inter-mediate crossbar 28 which is generally of larger cross sectional area than the upper and lower crossbars 26.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the drum carrier 10 includes a horizontally elongated plate 32 of generally rectangular configuration that is provided with a pair of hook members 34 welded to the rear edge thereof and having a reversely bent portion 36 for positioning over the upper edge of the crossbar 28 thereby mounting the plate 3 2 on the forward surface of the vertically moving carriage '12. A pair of vertically spaced and horizontally elongated spacing members 38 are secured to the forward surface of the plate '32 and 'a pair of inwardly extending edge members '40 are secured to the outer surfaces of the spacing members '38 thereby forming a pair of spacing L-shaped members that form a channel shaped guideway extending completely across the front face of the horizontally elongated plate 32. Referring now specifically to Figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that a pair of spaced lugs 42 are rigidly welded to the plate 32 substantially at the center thereof for a purpose described hereinafter. An outer pair of gripping fingers 44 are slidably positioned on the plate 32 by a mounting bracket 46 having a mounting plate 48 thereon which is slidably received within the channel shaped guideway formed by the spacing member 88 and the inturned edges 40. The inner corners of the bracket 46 are arcuate shaped, as indicated by the numeral 50 and provided with a cushioning member 52 for engaging the peripheral wall of a drum 54. The inner corner of each of the brackets 46 that lies adjacent the mounting plate 48 is provided with a pair of lugs 56 that are in longitudinal and horizontal alignment with the lugs 42 for pivotally receiving a piston rod 58 having :a piston 60 on one end thereof slidably received in a cylinder 62 having a rod 64 pivotally secured between the lugs 42 on a pivot pin 66. Fluid conduits 68 are in communication with each end of the cylinder 62 for moving the piston 60 in the cylinder 62 and therefore moving the outer pair of [fingers 44 inwardly or outwardly.

An inner pair of fingers 70 is provided with a mounting bracket 72, respectively, and the mounting brackets 72 are each provided with :a mounting plate 74 slidably received in the channel-shaped guideway formed by the spacers 38 and the inturned edges 40. The bracket 72 extends on each side of the forwardly extending fingers 70 and each corner thereof is provided with anarcuate portion 76 having a cushioning member 7 8 thereon for engaging the peripheral wall of one of the barrels 74-. It will be seen that the lugs 42 form an abutment stop for limiting the inward movement of the freely sliding mounting plates 74 thereby limiting the inward movement of the forwardly extending fingers 70. Further, it will be seen that the brackets 46 and 72 are constructed of spaced plate members and the fingers 44 are secured to a web interconnecting the outer edges of the plate members of the bracket 46 and the members 70 are secured to a web 80 positioned centrally between the outer edges of the brackets 72 thereby permitting the passage of the cylinder 62 between the plates "72 for actuation of the outer pair of fingers 44.

In operation, the plate 32 is attached to the crossbar 28 on the carriage 12 in an obvious manner and the fluid conduits 68 are connected to the hydraulic system 24 through the suitable control valves 22 adjacent the operators platform of the industrial truck 16 for ease of operation. Normally, the vertically moving carriage .12 is lowered until the forwardly projecting fingers 44 and 70 will engage under the annular ribs 65 usually found on conventional drums or barrels 54. When the barrels 54 are arranged in horizontally aligned rows, three rows of barrels 54 may be lifted simultaneously with two barrels of each row being handled with the outer pair of fingers 44 engaging the outer surfaces of the outer barrels and the inner fingers 70 being positioned between the adjacent rows. The hydraulic mechanism is then actuated for drawing the outer fingers 44- together thereby securely clamping the barrels 54 between the fingers -44 and 70 for transportation and handling. Obviously, the device may be utilized for a single row of barrels S4 with the inner fingers 70 sliding inwardly until the brackets 72 engage the stationary lugs '42 thereby stopping the inner fingers 70. Obviously, the various elements of the device must be constructed of heavy material for lifting the heavy loads.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A drum carrier for attachment to an industrial truck having a vertically hydraulically movable carriage provided with :a horizontal crossbar, comprising a horizontally disposed plate secured to the crossbar, one forwardly projecting, elongated finger mova-bly secured to said plate, another forwardly projecting, elongated finger movably secured to said plate for movement towards and away from the other finger, and means for actuation of said movable fingers for selectively clamping a drum between the fingers, said plate being provided with a first pair of forwardly projecting fingers, said fingers being slidably secured adjacent the side edges of the plate in horizontal alignment, a second pair of forwardly projecting fingers disposed intermediate the side edges of the plate, means for limitingv the inward movement of the inner pairs of fingers, hydraulically controlled means for urging the outer fingers inwardly, said plate being provided with a horizontally disposed guideway having inturned. side edges, each of said fingers having a mounting plate slidably received in said guideway, and .a'rcuate con tact plates at the inner ends of said fingers for engaging the peripheral wall of a plurality of drums, a double acting hydraulic cylinder and piston interconnecting the plate and the outer fingers, said intermediate fingers being normally spaced apart wherein a drum may be positioned between the inner fingers and between each inner finger and adjacent outer finger.

2. The structure as defined in claim l wherein said plate is provided with a hook member for securing the plate to the crossbar.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said fingers are elongated rigid metal members for engaging under the ribs on a drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,663 Weiss Ian. 15, 1952 2,666,541 Ferrario et al. Ian. 19, 1954 2,671,571' Gerhardt Mar. 9, 1954 2,684,772 Cartwright July 27, 1954 2,709,016 Schenkelberger May 24, 1955 

